The sky was black, the wetness inescapable. The air was just cold enough, comfort barely out of reach, but it had been such a beautiful trip. Off the first bus and walking immediately west on Hastings. Must cross the street twice. Then south on Main Street. Waiting for the bus, number two, surrounded by early morning commuters & wandering strung out souls.
It was 5:00 in the morning, and Vancouver, BC was becoming its rainy season, providing a healthy shock to this Southern California resident. I smoked a cigarette simply because I did not know what else to do while waiting in the rain. I never smoked before noon. There was a man to my left that looked as if his last breath was not far off. Staring not at me but through me, teetering to a silent rhythm of his own. To my right was a an attractive woman, about my age, seemingly doing the same thing I was doing. Wishing it were still the day before.
There were nice days during this visit. Beautiful days. One of them was Stone's birthday. 72 degrees (22 celsius) and not a cloud in the sky. We ventured on a much less depressing bus trip to Mt. Pleasant for a birthday session. I had been negotiating with an ankle injury and opted not to skate much myself. Instead, I gladly filmed my friend film 25 tricks on his 25th birthday. "I ought to do that for my 30th," I thought to myself. There are two skaters in their thirties, having pure fun challenging each other to new tricks on the ledge. There are also a father & son together, both wearing knee pads and rolling around the concrete park with fascination and candor. Later, a teenage girl joins the session. Smiles were contagious throughout, and Stone landed his 25th trick with his own grin.
It was 5:00 in the morning, and Vancouver, BC was becoming its rainy season, providing a healthy shock to this Southern California resident. I smoked a cigarette simply because I did not know what else to do while waiting in the rain. I never smoked before noon. There was a man to my left that looked as if his last breath was not far off. Staring not at me but through me, teetering to a silent rhythm of his own. To my right was a an attractive woman, about my age, seemingly doing the same thing I was doing. Wishing it were still the day before.
There were nice days during this visit. Beautiful days. One of them was Stone's birthday. 72 degrees (22 celsius) and not a cloud in the sky. We ventured on a much less depressing bus trip to Mt. Pleasant for a birthday session. I had been negotiating with an ankle injury and opted not to skate much myself. Instead, I gladly filmed my friend film 25 tricks on his 25th birthday. "I ought to do that for my 30th," I thought to myself. There are two skaters in their thirties, having pure fun challenging each other to new tricks on the ledge. There are also a father & son together, both wearing knee pads and rolling around the concrete park with fascination and candor. Later, a teenage girl joins the session. Smiles were contagious throughout, and Stone landed his 25th trick with his own grin.
The architecture and culture of Vancouver reminded me very much of American cities in its Pacific Northwest region. PNW towns but with a very nuanced outlook on the world and each other. To say Canadians are all nice or soft-spoken or to say anything of any group of people as a general statement isn't correct, but a Canadian mindset is the the largest difference I noticed between Vancouverites and Portlanders. The people are courteous, the public amenities are available and high-quality, the experience of living is generally great. The coffee superb. I wish I'd had one in hand while waiting there for the bus.
Five days into the trip, the goal was now to board the early morning bus line to Portland, OR. The days of skating and nights of live music faded into the next week's plans of fun adventure. Oh, how easily time seems to pass, the people, places, and things that come along with it seeming to drift by as well. It was quite alright - I had eight hours on a bus to reminisce. Better than battling for shitty Wi-Fi.
We'll make a stop for passport checks and one shortly afterward for a breakfast sandwich, then it was straight down the U.S. Interstate 5 en route to Oregon. Willy Nelson's "On the Road Again" came on in my headphones, but I changed the song to "Unemployed" by Tierra Whack.
Oct 2019
- 7Ply Epic
Five days into the trip, the goal was now to board the early morning bus line to Portland, OR. The days of skating and nights of live music faded into the next week's plans of fun adventure. Oh, how easily time seems to pass, the people, places, and things that come along with it seeming to drift by as well. It was quite alright - I had eight hours on a bus to reminisce. Better than battling for shitty Wi-Fi.
We'll make a stop for passport checks and one shortly afterward for a breakfast sandwich, then it was straight down the U.S. Interstate 5 en route to Oregon. Willy Nelson's "On the Road Again" came on in my headphones, but I changed the song to "Unemployed" by Tierra Whack.
Oct 2019
- 7Ply Epic